Projects and shows

What this does: shows how to start, open and push a project, set a running order on the Show page, and keep cloud versions of a project.

The words

Word	Means
Project	Every sequence, cue, lane, media file and desk setting for one production. Lives on this Mac. File → New Project…, Open Project…, Close Project.
Sequence	One song or timeline in the project. The New Track dialog and the File menu call it a track.
Show	One running order of sequences, on the Show page. A project holds as many as you need. Live runs the active one.
Version	A named variant of a cloud project. See Versions.

Some older labels still say “show” for the whole project: Load Show, Local Shows, Restore Deleted Show…, Export Show Package… and the Show name field.

Project Manager

Every project on this Mac and in Helm Cloud, with disk use and sync state.

1. View → Project Manager… (⇧⌘P). Or the Project Manager card on the Project page splash.

2. Read the three sections. Each header carries a count.

3. Refresh reloads the lists. Back to Project returns.

Section	Holds	Buttons
Synced	Projects here and in the cloud. Size, plus +… cache for downloaded media.	Open · Push now · Files · Unlink · Delete local
Local only	Projects never pushed.	Open · Push to Cloud (signed in) · Delete
Cloud only	Cloud projects with no copy on this Mac. Needs a Helm Cloud sign-in.	Download · Files

• Push now and Push to Cloud open that project in place of the open one, then push. They pull nothing.
• Unlink stops syncing. The local and the cloud copy both stay.
• Delete local removes this Mac’s copy. The cloud project stays.
• Delete on a local-only project has no cloud copy behind it. File → Restore Deleted Show… brings it back only if it has a backup. See Backups and show packages.
• Files lists the cloud project’s files, read-only.

Empty state

No projects anywhere: Start the first project, with New project and Open cloud project. Signed out, Open cloud project opens Settings → Helm Cloud first.

Open a cloud project

1. Signed in, press Download on a Cloud only row. Your licence must cover the project.

2. The project opens on the Project page. If this Mac already has it, that copy opens instead.

3. Media downloads in the background. Live won’t arm until every file is here and checked. See Media and lanes.

Start a project

1. File → New Project… (⌘N).

2. Fill Project Name. Artist / Performer is optional.

3. Pick the Frame Rate: 24 fps (Film), 25 fps (PAL), 29.97 DF (NTSC Broadcast), 29.97 NDF (NTSC) or 30 fps. It starts at Settings → General → Default Frame Rate. “Match the desk’s timecode pool. 25 in Europe, 30 or 29.97 DF in the US.”

4. Create Project (⌘↩). Esc cancels.

5. Cues opens Build. Add the first sequence with File → New Track… (⌘T).

The project saves every change. File → Save (⌘S) says Saved.

The Project page (⌘1)

With no project open

The splash. View → Go to Splash (⌘0) closes the open project and returns here.

Card	Does
New Project	The New Project dialog
Load Project	The Load Show list: Cloud Projects and Local Shows
Import Project	Import a .helmpkg package
Helm Sessions	Settings → Helm Sessions. See Sessions.
Project Manager	The Project Manager

Recent under the cards lists the 5 newest projects. The bin icon deletes that project’s local copy.

With a project open

The header shows the name, the artist, the frame rate, n sequences, n media (opens the Media Library) and the cloud state:

Cloud state	Means
Local only	Not linked to a cloud project
Cloud v12	Linked. The number is the cloud version.
Syncing…	A push is running
Sync failed	The last push failed

The push button shows only when signed in to Helm Cloud:

Label	Means
Push to Cloud	Not linked. Creates the cloud project from this one and pushes it.
Push now	Linked. Sends your changes up. Pulls nothing.
Uploading 3/7… · Saving…	Running
Push failed · retry	Press it to push again

The ⋯ menu: Switch project…, New project…, Media library…, Import .helmpkg…, Export .helmpkg…, Versions… (linked projects only), Delete project…

Sequences

• + New sequence opens New Track: Track Name, Artist, Timecode Offset (HH:MM:SS;FF), Master media → Browse… → Create Track.
• Import multiple… takes several audio or video files. Choose files…, then Import n sequences. Each file becomes one sequence in this project.
• Filter sequences… narrows the list. Sort: Project order, Track number, Name, Artist, Duration, Cue count. Track number is the default: 1, 2, 10, then tracks with no number in project order. Every track list in Cues reads in this order; a show’s running order is its own.
• No. is editable. The track number sets the track’s MA page, timecode and macros.
• Click a row to open it in Build. Right-click: Open in Build, Rename, Delete…
• Deleting a sequence never deletes its media file.

Project settings

Project settings live in Settings, in the Project group under this Mac’s tabs. They are saved in the project and travel with it.

1. Settings on the Project page header, View → Project Settings… or ⌘,. Settings opens on Project.

2. Pick a tab: Project, People, Branding, Cloud or Desk import.

3. Edit. Each change saves as you make it.

No project open: the group is greyed and reads Open a project.

Tab	Holds
Project	Show name, Artist, Frame rate. Audio defaults for every track: Music out, File LTC out, Use LTC as track offset, Use LTC frame rate. Video: Output canvas → Canvas…
People	Venue, client, designers, operators, managers. Notes. Add contact for more.
Branding	Logo and Watermark. Choose…, Change…, Remove.
Cloud	Link state, Push now, Versions…, Unlink from cloud. Not linked: Push to Cloud. Not signed in: Sign in… opens Settings → Helm Cloud.
Desk import	Number tracks from this, Starting sequence, Offset to the next track, Backup offset, Starting playback, Starting page and Starting timecode pool, then Apply to all tracks…. Checks lists tracks that overlap on the desk. Sequence names: stack name only, track number - stack, or track name - stack.

The audio defaults travel with the project. A track can still set its own. App default follows this Mac’s Settings → Audio Devices.

Risk: Frame rate is the rate every timecode output sends. Change it here and on the desk’s timecode pool together.

Desk import numbers every track in track order: the No. column, then project order. Each track’s Main stack takes its first sequence and playback; the other stacks follow in list order. While numbering is on, new tracks take the next place. Apply to all tracks… shows each track and stack, old → new, before it writes. Risk: applying moves the tracks’ sequences on the desk, after a backup at + Backup offset; timecode pools under the old numbers stay. Steps and risks: grandMA3 setup → Desk import.

Running orders: the Show page (⌘3)

A show is one running order of the project’s sequences. One project can hold the main set, an encore variant and a festival cut.

Make a show

1. Show page (⌘3). + New show. It is named Show n and opens for rename. Type a name, Enter.

2. Click sequences in Sequences pool on the left, listed in track number order. Each joins Show order at the bottom. Add all n takes the lot, in that order.

3. Reorder: drag a row, or ↑ / ↓. × sends a sequence back to the pool.

4. Set active. The show reads ACTIVE. Live runs this one.

The meta strip shows n in show and the total run time. Sequences with no audio count as +n untimed.

Switch and manage shows

• The picker in the header chooses which show you edit. The active one reads · active.
• Rename, or double-click the name.
• Clear empties the running order. Press twice: Click again to clear.
• Delete removes the show. Press twice: Click again to delete. Its sequences stay in the project.
• Right-click a row in Show order: Open in Build, Open in Live, Rename, Move up, Move down, Remove from show. Open in Live works only on the active show, with nothing playing.

What Live does with it

• Live plays only the active show, in its order.
• No active show: Live reads No active show. and Pick or create one in Show.

Versions (cloud projects)

A version is a named variant of a cloud project. Cues syncs the active one. Versions share the same media files.

1. Project page ⋯ → Versions…, or Settings → Cloud (Project group) → Versions… Linked projects only.

2. + New version. Name (e.g. “Festival edit”) and an optional Description. Create & switch.

3. To change version: Switch on a row, then Confirm switch. Your current work is saved first.

4. Duplicate copies a version. Rename renames it. Delete needs Confirm delete and never works on the active version.

The same versions show on app.helm.show. See the Cloud app guide.

File menu, project items

Item	Key	Does
New Project…	⌘N	New Project dialog
Open Project…	⌘O	The Load Show list
Close Project	⌘W	Back to the splash
Save	⌘S	Saves now
Export Show Package…	⇧⌘S	Writes a .helmpkg
Import Show Package…		Reads a .helmpkg
Restore from Backup…		Rolls the open project back
Restore Deleted Show…		Brings back a deleted project that has a backup
New Track…	⌘T	New Track dialog
Push to Helm Cloud	⇧⌘U	Push the open project
Unlink from Cloud…		Stop syncing this project
Delete Project…		Delete the local copy, after a confirm

Backups and show packages covers backups and .helmpkg in full.

When it goes wrong

• Push button missing. You are signed out. Settings → Helm Cloud, then sign in. See Cloud sync.
• ⇧⌘U says “Sign in to Helm Cloud first: Settings → Helm Cloud.” Same cause. Sign in, push again.
• Cloud only is empty while signed out. “Sign in to Helm Cloud to see cloud-only projects.”
• Live says No active show. Show page → pick a show → Set active.
• Open in Live is greyed. The show is not active, or a track is playing.
• Versions… is missing. The project is not linked to Helm Cloud. Push it first.
• Delete is greyed on a version. It is the active one. Switch to another version first.
• A project opened on another Mac is not here. Open it from Cloud only → Download, or import its .helmpkg.